Chinese Canadian Museum

Chinese Canadian Museum

The Chinese Canadian Museum at the Wing Sang Building
Established	July 1, 2023 (2023-07-01)
Location	51 East Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6A 1S9
Coordinates	49°16′51″N 123°06′11″W
CEO	Melissa Karmen Lee
Curator	Olivia Chow
Owner	Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia
Public transit access	Stadium-Chinatown 19 Stanley Park/Metrotown
Website	chinesecanadianmuseum.ca
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	華裔博物館
Simplified Chinese	华裔博物馆
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin huá yì bó wù guǎn Yue: Cantonese Jyutping waa4 jeoi6 bok3 mat6 gun2

The Chinese Canadian Museum (Chinese: 華裔博物館) is a museum located in the historic Chinatown neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia. Opened on July 1, 2023, it is the first museum in Canada dedicated entirely to the history, culture, and contributions of Chinese Canadians.

The museum is headquartered in the Wing Sang Building, the oldest brick building in Vancouver's Chinatown.

History

The museum originated from a 2017 commitment by the Government of British Columbia to establish a cultural institution recognizing the Chinese diaspora. Following province-wide community consultations, the Chinese Canadian Museum Society of BC was founded in 2020 to develop and operate the institution.

The provincial government initially backed the initiative with a $10 million investment, followed by an additional $27.5 million in funding to secure and revitalize its permanent home. The museum officially opened its doors to the public on July 1, 2023, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act.

Building and location

The museum is housed in the Wing Sang Building at 51 East Pender Street. Built in 1889 by Chinese merchant Yip Sang for his business, the Wing Sang Company, the building is a recognized national heritage site.

Over the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the facility expanded to include a six-story residential wing to accommodate Yip Sang's large family.

The School Room prior to restoration.

The building's preservation structure retains several original architectural and historical elements:

• A recreated 1930s living room: Located on the third floor, illustrating the daily life of Yip Sang's family during the exclusion era.
• The school room: Registered in 1914 as the Vancouver Chinese Independent School, it stands as one of the oldest preserved classrooms in the city.
• Bachelors' alley: A narrow covered breezeway inside the complex that historically sheltered early Chinese migrant workers who were separated from their families.

Exhibitions and collections

The museum operates across three stories of exhibition spaces, in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Its content highlights systemic challenges faced by early immigrants and the broader cultural impacts of the community.

• The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act: The museum's inaugural feature exhibition, curated by Catherine Clement documents the impact of Canada's exclusion years (1923–1947), displaying the country's largest collection of Chinese Immigration (C.I.) certificates and personal family archives.
• Odysseys and Migration: A permanent exhibition exploring the early waves of Chinese migration across the Pacific Ocean, tracing connections between Guangdong province, small-town British Columbia, and urban hubs.
• Indigenous Connections: Collaborative projects exploring historical interactions and shared experiences between early Chinese immigrants and First Nations communities in British Columbia.